The Muggle Interface –Make it the Default Setting?

Running with TKs thoughts about a light defaulting into the Muggle Mode out of the box.
And making muggle the default after a factory reset.

Muggle By Default?
I think this is something who’s time, perhaps, has come.
It is only a matter of time before a class action lawyer discovers someone who, through their own fault, has burned down a house, melted a seat cushion, blown up a light, burned a hand, or “suffered permanent psychological damage”. From a flashlight, and all that follows.
Good luck collecting from China on that BTY.
But an American, UK, or ? Sales outlet, and anyone involved in the design. – Look Out!

On many electronic products, often there is a “something” that needs to be done before the product can function. Like the stick on battery protectors.
If the instructions to remove the batt protector is attached to the light in some manner such that the light can not be handled without removing the instructions first. Should cut down on those type of problems. Unfortunately you can’t always fix stupid.

The Muggle Interface
I think a default muggle interface should, by default, not have memory.
It should be a stepped brightness and always start in a moderate low. Why?
Because someones kid is going to stick it right next to some other kids, or pets, or their own eye and turn the darn thing on.
Starting in low, at least the victim has a chance to make a get away before damage is done.

It’s simple enough to bump a light up a few notches if needed, if the mode change is made easy enough.
Then make choosing to enable memory a choice in the muggle options.
And/Or make choosing the default brightness setting an option.

Ramping? For most of the world? Why would they even want it?
Moonlight (press and hold), then Low, Medium, and High. If properly spaced - is enough.
High being what can be sustained without step down or the head getting too hot.

Or perhaps press and hold is a momentary low. Or whatever has been set in the muggle options.
How many muggles will actually use a moonlight level?
Want less light? Do what we’ve done for years and cover the front with fingers.

Batt check from off? I really like it and use it all the time. I would like to keep it.
Once again, for those who are not going to be using a light often. Would they even remember?
Battery level by color of an indicator, be that the switch or? Would seems to be needed also.
Running all the time the light is on.

Changing Programs
The Surefire Protac “Cop Lights” have a 9 quick presses then press and hold to change programs.
Much less than that and it’s going to happen accidentally if someone is farting around with the light trying to get things to happen.

Getting into the optional settings should not require anything similar to the clicks needed to change brightness modes. Too easy to end up where things can get confusing.

6 presses and hold to get into muggle options. 8 presses and hold to get to the BLF options. Perhaps.

Making changing between “programs” an easy to remember, but hard to do by accident series of clicks and holds seems sensible.

Marketing?
As far as marketing, that’s a real issue with makers.
Perhaps touting that the light is so powerful and sophisticated that the “professional” settings are locked out by default could be a marketing angle.
Possible danger always sells.

And as far as switch design?
Getting off topic here.
For the love of all that’s good and holy – make it so I can find the frelling thing in the dark by feel alone.

Built in charging is clearly a thing, although I’m not a fan of most port covers.
But stop the charge at 4.1v or? To keep the battery(s) safe and happy.
It’s going to be sitting charging for days (weeks?). With muggle owners.

Oh, and pretty please give me a programmable Sunset mode someplace in there somewhere.
That’s easy to activate from any brightness.

Ok, I’m winding down now and they tell me it’s time to take a pill or else….

Your Thoughts?

All the Best,
Jeff

Yeah, to pretty much all of that.

Just keep in mind that most people are idiots, and you won’t be disappointed. That’s why you have warning stickers on Super Man capes, “Cape does not allow wearer to fly”, and on hairdryers “Do not use in the bath or shower”.

Build a hand-grenade, warn extensively, and yet some damnfool is gonna pull the pin and sit on it like an egg.

Oh so true.
YouTube is full of them. Playing with airbags? Why the hell not. Lets see how far it will launch me?
Take apart a LiPo cell inside your house? I’ve got a bucket of sand right here.

Or all the welders, knife grinders, Etc. Many of whom may actually wear eye/hearing/respirator protection.
But that poor dog wondering around the shop? Nah - He’ll be OK.
All the Best,
Jeff

Yeh, that was a… a… “skit”?… on “Fail Factory”.

Some idiots put some big rock or something onto an airbag, blew it like 50’ into the air, and the rock came crashing down on someone’s car. Shouldda landed on their heads.

Like this dewd…

…I can just imagine him making one slip, go sailing off the edge of the building, and his next-of-kin suing the hoverboard mfr for not sufficiently warning people not to do that.

I’ve been saying for years how lights that can get stoopit-bright, and stoopit-hot in seconds, are a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

I’m OK. As long as he goes off the edge before he has the chance to pass on his genes…

I don’t disagree with much of anything in the OP. But I suspect (and I could be wrong, because court cases will surprise on a regular basis) that the biggest liability is removable lithium batteries. I don’t expect to see otherwise decent consumer flashlights at Wally World or Auto Zone until they’re sealed like the HF ones with built-in charging.

There are way too many ways to cause excitement with a loose 18650 that has to be removed somewhat regularly to charge. Laptops and smartphones aren’t completely safe, but at least there is a precedent for flashlight designers and attorneys.

True!
Laptops with 18650s inside were and are expected to live for years on an off a charger.
With no danger to anyone.
All that is needed is to have conservative values in the charge/discharge profile.
Hard to accomplish in a flashlight with any hope of good performance.

Still, a light with proprietary batteries is going to seriously hurt sales to the non-muggles.
A light would have to be pretty special (or really cheap) for me to put up with that.

I would think the best answer would be warning labels not to remove the battery.
And we would just ignore that.
All the Best,
Jeff

i really don;t know

maybe it;s permanent muggle

but one extra thing

HOLD FOR TURBO

so the turbo can;t come on and stay on

then have temperature and current limits for it too

or have a bluetooth/web interface where they have to sign in and certify they read warnings etc before making it less safe than muggle

wle

I really like the solder pads on the inside of the BLF LT1, it’s a good test of a user’s capabilities and allows the argument that, if things go wrong, then it’s the user’s fault because evidently they ‘modified’ the product.

I think making muggle-mode default is a recipe for setting up manufacturers and sellers for failure.

Consumer muggles will buy a “5000 lumen” light and expect high output. They’ll turn it on and think it’s broken, defective or sold with false advertising when it only outputs 200 lumens. And yes a muggle might not know the difference between 5000 and 200 lumens, but they can tell that their new 5000 lumen light is dimmer than the $6 light they bought last year.

These extremely disappointed consumers will flood the seller with negative feedback and demand refunds. They’ll write negative reviews of both the light and the seller.

The only way I see making this work without causing such negative consequences is to include a big warning card at the top of the box. This warning would have to warn the user that the light ships in muggle mode for safety (maybe call it ‘basic’” mode). The card could then provide some warnings of the risks of the light plus instructions on how to switch to “advanced” mode.

Of course human nature being what it is, most muggles would then immediately swap to “advanced” mode and then forget about the warnings. And that would negate any advantage of shipping it in muggle mode in the first place.

Also:

  • manufacturers might not like the extra cost of having to print a warning card to put in each box.
  • consumers might not like the extra hassle of having to switch to “advanced” mode before they use their new light.

that is why my solution would document who read the disclaimers, warnings and legal stuff

sort of a ‘license to set your pants on fire’

wle

Incorporate an IQ test before they can take off the training-wheels.

I still like the idea of having to enter “iddqd” in Morse code via the sideclicky before enabling hand-grenade mode. If they can’t, then they got no bidniss trying it in the first place.

My post has nothing to do with games like Doom, but with Morse code.
Iddqd is: … … _ . _…

just in case you want to practice punching that into your EDC

My post has nothing to do with games like Doom, but with Morse code.
Iddqd is: … … _ . _…

just in case you want to practice punching that into your EDC. Sorry, it gets reformatted when saved but you still get the idea. And it drops a dash too.

That’s how you switch from LOL mode to SOS mode…

Well, maybe I was wrong. Saw this at Ye Olde Costco yesterday, and was almost curious enough to spring for $20:

All 3 lights are usb rechargeable, BUT, on the back it says they have replaceable lithium batteries. So it doesn’t look like they made any attempt to make the battery non-removable. Feit makes some good LED bulbs, so maybe they make good flashlights too.

Dumb people get no respect :open_mouth:

“This flashlight is hotter, brighter and more explosive than it appears”